Leaf is an impish, stick creature called a Twig. He lives in an old forest at the foot of an ancient volcano capped by a vast glacier ~ the Long Ice. Leaf entertains his mischievous, younger, twin brothers with stories about the rare beasts that still survive on the Long Ice even though it shrinks more and more as the seasons grow hotter. One afternoon, the twins run away to play in the vanishing ice and snow. They hitch a ride on a giant moth, befriend a snowshoe bunny, and stumble upon a hermit's creepy cave. Mistaking the hermit's odd pets for a cave beast's meal, the twins rescue them all. When a bold mountain goat kid leaps into the expedition, a mighty eagle called Slayer attacks! Panicked, the Twig twins and their terrified companions rush into the glacier's icy tunnels, and are soon bewildered by a maze of melting blue tubes. Yet all is not lost, for with the help of a courageous pika, Leaf and the grumpy hermit join forces to find the twins. But in a dreadful turn of events, it is the snow beasts of the Long Ice that will decide their fate. In the Twig Stories adventure novels young Twigs are thrust upon dangerous paths. Still, they discover their world has unexpected help. In the midst of disappearing habitats, beavers build mighty dams to control floods and quench wildfires. Bark beetles are fought. Rare trees are saved from extinction. Glaciers may shrink, but their precious water is not lost. Now Twigs must learn a lesson from the eruption of a volcano ~ incredible adaption is possible, so Leaf and his loyal Twig friends stick together and battle to survive. Royalties are shared with nature conservancy nonprofits protecting wildlife and forests. Twig Stories are illustrated by D.W. Murray, a Disney artist. His credits include Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, and Curious George. He is a recipient of the New York Society of Illustrators Gallery and the 2004 Gold Aurora Award.Praise for Leaf & the Long Ice ~"Excellent storytelling combined with accurate science make this book a must-read for children interested in nature and stories of adventure."Sarah Boon, PhD, Alberta Water and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Lethbridge"The theme of environmental change is woven into the narrative as a backdrop to a story of adventure, danger, camaraderie, and kindness. Readers of all ages will relate to the magic that draws Buddy and Burba to the snow in the first place, and will be reminded of our connection to Earth's changing cryosphere."Dr. Gwenn Flowers, Canada Research Chair in GlaciologySimon Fraser University"Leaf & the Long Ice is a must-have in your library. Rich fictional characters, vivid word imagery, evocative sensorial language, and layered science content... Jo Marshall gives us a great age-appropriate teaching tool that helps lay a foundation for students in fostering a nature care-taker's ethic."Clay Heilman, Environmental EducatorNature Vision